Written Answers Wednesday 4 February 2009

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the short-life working group of the feasibility on the national collection of tissue as outlined in Better Cancer Care, An Action Plan will report to the Scottish Government and what action may follow this report.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Cancer Taskforce has the responsibility to oversee the actions set out in Better Cancer Care, An Action Plan . The first meeting of the Scottish Cancer Taskforce was held on 29 January 2009 and a short-life working group will be set up to assess the feasibility of the national collection of tissue and will report to the Scottish Government via the Scottish Cancer Taskforce.

Carers

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16718 by Shona Robison on 28 October 2008, whether it will take steps to ensure that information on the number of young carers waiting for support services in each local authority area is available centrally.

Shona Robison: As part of our new relationship with local government, we are placing greater emphasis on ensuring positive outcomes for stakeholders, and less emphasis on inputs and processes.

  To support this, we are working with local partnerships to develop and implement performance management arrangements that focus on outcomes for service users and carers, including young carers, and which enable local partnerships to measure and manage their performance effectively. We continue to work closely with Carers Organisations in developing the outcomes approach.

  The focus of the young carers section of the revised Carers Strategy will be on ensuring positive outcomes for young carers, through better identification and improved support in both young carer specific services and mainstream children’s services.

  We have provided funding to the Princess Royal Trust for Carers to conduct a mapping exercise into young carers services across Scotland. This work will highlight good practice in supporting young carers, as well as identifying gaps in provision. The results of this study will inform the development of the young carers section of the Carers Strategy.

Concessionary Travel

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will deliver the policy intentions of the national concessionary travel scheme to people who are unable to use conventional buses.

Stewart Stevenson: Although the scheme already includes demand responsive/community transport services which are locally registered services, this is one of a number of issues being considered as part of the review of the scheme. The review is nearing completion.

Concessionary Travel

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recognises that the eligibility criteria for the national concessionary travel scheme exclude people on the lower rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance and whether it will consider the reach of the scheme in its current review.

Stewart Stevenson: We are aware that the eligibility criteria do not include people in receipt of the lower rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance. This is one of a number of issues being considered as part of the review of the scheme. The review is nearing completion.

Concessionary Travel

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people have acquired a Scottish national entitlement card that is not a youth travel card.

John Swinney: As of 26 January 2009, there were a total of 248,470 cards issued to young people aged between 11 to 26.

  Of these, 186,492 were for those young people aged 11 to 15 and 19 to 26 inclusive i.e. those young people not eligible for the Young Persons Concessionary Travel Scheme.

  These figures exclude cards issued to young disabled people who qualify for the Scotland-wide free travel scheme for older and disabled people as these are not readily available.

Culture

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19757 by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2009, which minister attended each meeting and what topics were discussed.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides information on which Scottish minister attended which meeting with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and what topics were discussed.

  

 Date
 Scottish Minister
 Topics Discussed


 25 September 2007
 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning 
 Official opening of RSAMD’s new Digital Training Unit 


 5 October 2007
 Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture
 Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music bid


 17 January 2008
 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
 The future strategic direction for RSAMD and funding levels for drama 


 5 February 2008
 First Minister 
 The range of RSAMD’s activities and opportunities for student participation in events 


 28 April 2008
 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
 Concerns of RSAMD Students’ Association about funding levels at RSAMD


 22 May 2008
 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
 RSAMD’s financial position and funding levels for drama



  The other meetings listed in the previous reply involved officials only.

Direct Payments

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the decision of Orkney Islands Council not to approve new applications for direct payments due to budgetary constraints.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect will be of the withdrawal of direct payments in the Orkney Islands council area.

Shona Robison: Officials have been in touch with Orkney Islands Council to clarify the position.

  Orkney has made clear that there is no intention to withdraw existing direct payments. The waiting list for direct payments is regularly reviewed and applications are actioned as additional resources become available. In the interim, clients on the waiting list are offered social care services.

  Scottish Government statistics make clear that Orkney currently has the highest rate of clients per 10,000 population receiving direct payments. The council is actively looking at the existing position, the current financial pressures, and projected additional financial demands to resolve this situation. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/10/27092036/0.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19457 by Frank Mulholland on 20 January 2008, how many direct measures have been issued by procurators fiscal in relation to alleged offences under section 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since April 2008, broken down by (a) type of drug, (b) class of drug and (c) sheriff court district.

Frank Mulholland QC: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  While the use of direct measures for possession of Class A drugs in very exceptional circumstances cannot be discounted, the clear policy is that they should only be issued for possession of small quantities of Class B and Class C drugs such as cannabis.

  Guidance to procurators fiscal makes it clear that possession of a Class A drug is not appropriate for a Direct Measure and should be prosecuted in the sheriff court.

Eating Disorders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment is available in each NHS board area for people with an eating disorder.

Shona Robison: NHS boards in Scotland provide a full range of care and treatment for eating disorders across community based and hospital services, including access to specialist in-patient care.

  I am delighted that a new purpose designed 10 bed specialist NHS in-patient facility for eating disorder care to serve the North of Scotland is now operational at the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen, adding to the partnership hospital provision already available across Scotland.

  All areas and all services are working toward improved access and outcomes for service users based on prevention, intervention and sustained supported recovery.

Fertility Services

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long it will take to implement fully the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland.

Shona Robison: We are aware that not all NHS boards have implemented the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland, and we wrote to boards in December 2008 asking for an update on implementation of these recommendations. We are in the process of receiving responses from boards.

Fertility Services

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are variations in the number of cycles of IVF and ICSI treatment provided by each NHS board.

Shona Robison: There are variations in the number of cycles of IVF and ICSI treatment provided by NHS boards in Scotland. We provided NHS boards with an update on eligibility criteria in 2007, and recently wrote to all boards asking them for an update on implementation of the updated access criteria in their area.

Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what inquiries are being carried out into the disclosures made by the directors of the Royal Bank of Scotland in relation to the bank’s rights issue in 2008 and whether the Lord Advocate is satisfied that the directors have complied with relevant statutory requirements since.

Frank Mulholland QC: Compliance with the relevant regulatory regime is a matter for the Financial Services Authority and not the Lord Advocate, whose role in respect of statutory requirements in respect of banks is limited to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences. It would be for the police and regulatory agencies to determine whether there is a basis for a criminal investigation. I am not aware of any criminal investigation.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make mandatory the recording on death certificates of Clostridium difficile where it is the cause of death.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is already a statutory requirement, under section 24 of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, for a registered medical practitioner to issue a medical certificate of cause of death stating to the best of his knowledge and belief the cause of death, and that would include Clostridium difficile.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the respondents who were reported, in the analysis and summary of responses prepared by its Social Housing Division, as having given neutral/not stated responses to proposals in its 2008 Housing Association Grant consultation paper on (a) the annual rate of increase in rents, (b) freezing management, maintenance and major repairs allowances and (c) inflation assumptions.

Stewart Maxwell: Copies of all the non-confidential responses received to the 2008 Housing Association Grant consultation and the subsequent report by Social Housing Division are posted on the Scottish Government website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/bettervalue/Q/editmode/on/forceupdate/on.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Housing Association Grant funding was allocated per registered social landlord in North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire council areas in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Stewart Maxwell: The amount of Housing Association Grant funding that was allocated per registered social landlord in North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire council areas in 2007-08 and 2008-09 is shown on the following tables.

  South Lanarkshire

  

 RSL
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Abbeyfield Rutherglen
 
 0.095


 Arklet
 0.809
 0.031


 Bield
 0.031
 0.848


 Cairn
 0.027
 0.020


 Clyde Valley
 4.960
 1.730


 Clydesdale
 1.070
 0.320


 Cube
 0.004
 0.003


 East Kilbride
 1.230
 0.621


 Hanover
 0.601
 1.858


 Horizon
 0.018
 0.010


 Key
 0.115
 0.010


 Link
 0.048
 0.025


 Loretto
 0.571
 0.592


 Margaret Blackwood
 0.036
 0.078


 New Lanark
 0
 0.030


 Rutherglen and Cambuslang
 2.261
 0.530


 Trust
 0.020
 0.015


 West Of Scotland
 5.011
 1.864


 West Whitlawburn Housing Co-op
 1.054
 6.520


 
 17.865*
 15.200



  Notes:

  *South Lanarkshire Council HERF – £1.418 million.

  The above figure should be added to the core programme, 2007-08, to give a final figure of £19.284 million.

  North Lanarkshire

  

 RSL
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Abronhill
 
 0.015


 Bield
 
 0.030


 Cairn
 3.000
 0.740


 Clyde Valley
 4.020
 0.660


 Cube
 
 0.050


 Cumbernauld Housing Partnership
 
 0.072


 Forgewood 
 
 0.015


 Forgewood on behalf of CHP*
 4.085
 1.074


 Garrion Housing Co-operative
 
 0.814


 Hanover Housing Association
 
 0.005


 Horizon
 
 0.005


 Key
 
 0.395


 Lanarkshire
 
 1.422


 Link
 0.250
 1.263


 Loretto
 
 0.002


 Margaret Blackwood
 1.337
 1.000


 Sanctuary
 
 1.000


 Trust
 
 0.020


 West of Scotland
 3.376
 2.509


 Wishaw and District
 1.732
 3.509


 Total
 17.800**
 14.600



  Notes:

  *Forgewood Housing Co-operative is acting as development agent for Cumbernauld Housing Partnership, spend relates to a Cumbernauld project

  **North Lanarkshire Council HERF – £5.950 million GRO - £0.211 million.

  The above figures should be added to the core programme, 2007-08, to give a final figure of £23.961 million.

Identity Cards

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish national entitlement card will be compulsory for individuals seeking access to local leisure services.

John Swinney: Not all councils use the national entitlement card (NEC) to access local services.

  For those councils who do offer access to local services via the NEC it is not compulsory for individuals to use it. The NEC is an additional convenient means of accessing local services.

  All councils offer alternatives for those customers who do not wish to use the NEC to access local services.

Identity Cards

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives are available to individuals who would like to access leisure services, including swimming pools, community centres and libraries, but do not wish to obtain a Scottish national entitlement card.

John Swinney: Not all local authorities use the national entitlement card (NEC) to access local leisure and/or library services. As the NEC is an additional means of access to local services the alternatives available will be the decision/choice of each local authority.

Identity Cards

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what precautionary measures have been put in place to safeguard the privacy of the data gathered through the Scottish national entitlement card.

John Swinney: All data collected from a national entitlement card (NEC) application is collected in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. Applicants are made aware of their rights under the act via the application form and a separate terms and conditions leaflet. In addition, applicants are asked whether or not they grant consent for their information to be shared with other public sector organisations. Individuals can also change this consent.

  Applicants for a NEC provide their local council with personal details including their name and address, date of birth, telephone number, gender etc. This information is necessary to validate and verify an applicant’s entitlement to services and establish a card holder citizen account, which is used to administer the NEC scheme i.e. information which allows the council to issue/re-issue a card.

  Each local authority has access to the records of their own residents only and is the data controller of this information. Council employees need a "digital certificate" (the means of allowing secure and private communications between authenticated parties) in order to access the system and all activities on the system are audited and logged (including any unauthorized attempts to access the system). Any transaction data in relation to individual services continues to be held separately by local authorities, i.e. it is not stored on the central card management system.

  Plans are also in place for individual card holders to have their own secure user login and password in order to see the data that is held about them and to be able to change the data, e.g. to notify a change of circumstances such as change of address.

Identity Cards

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any local authorities have restricted access to leisure services where a Scottish national entitlement card has not been produced by a prospective user.

John Swinney: The national entitlement card (NEC) is a local authority administered scheme. We are not aware of any local authority restricting the access to local leisure services because an individual does not have a NEC.

  Alternative means of access are available for individuals who do not wish to use the NEC to access local services.

International Development

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it will make available to Scottish aid organisations that are not members of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and wish to assist in the humanitarian effort in Gaza.

Linda Fabiani: We have invited funding bids from Scottish-based organisations to support their humanitarian work in Gaza. Any Scottish-based organisations can apply.

  Applications will be assessed and final decisions will be subject to assurances that aid will reach those in greatest need.

Livestock

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has opted for compulsory bluetongue vaccination given that England has opted for a voluntary approach.

Richard Lochhead: Veterinary advice and the analysis by Scottish Government’s Centre of Excellence in Epidemiology is that a mass vaccination campaign against bluetongue virus 8 would be in Scotland best interests. In the light of this advice and evidence of likely take up under voluntary initiatives, it was agreed with industry stakeholders that a compulsory campaign to achieve the mass coverage required would be implemented to prevent bluetongue virus serotype 8 from becoming established in Scotland.

Local Government Finance

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allow local authorities to make use of tax increment financing in relation to business rates.

John Swinney: We will consider any proposals from local authorities which make use of tax increment financing so long as these make financial sense. The City of Edinburgh Council is currently exploring the use of tax increment financing with the Scottish Futures Trust.

  In parallel, we are exploring in conjunction with COSLA as part of a joint review of the local government distribution formula, whether it may be possible to incentivise councils to grow their business rate by retaining any additional business rate income that they raise. One option being considered is tax increment financing. This review is due to be completed by end October 2009 and will inform the local government settlement for 2011-12, following the next spending review.

Mental Health

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding was ring-fenced for the development of mental health and wellbeing services in 2008-09, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Spend on mental health services will continue to be drawn from the record funds allocated to NHS boards and local government overall. It is the responsibility of these agencies to work in partnership and to allocate funds from the total resources available to them on the basis of local needs, priorities and agreed targets including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and commitments, which includes priority attention to mental health.

  In addition, £5 million also allocated in 2008-09 to NHS boards for partnership spend to support implementation of the Mental Health Act, and delivery of the HEAT targets for mental health in Scotland. Similar allocations will be made next year and in 2010-11.

  

NHS Board/Partners 2008-09
£000


 Ayrshire and Arran
 378


 Borders
 196


 Dumfries and Galloway
 229


 Fife
 344


 Forth Valley
 296


 Grampian
 421


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 948


 Highland
 342


 Lanarkshire
 477


 Lothian
 568


 Orkney
 134


 Shetland
 135


 Tayside
 386


 Western Isles
 146


 Total
 5,000

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the recommendations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) on the roles and responsibilities of police forces as set out in HMICS’s Independent review of policing in Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: I am grateful to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) for the Independent Review of Policing in Scotland report. The issues it raises are challenging and complex. The Scottish Government will work closely with key partners and stakeholders to consider thoroughly the challenges identified before formulating a way forward. I expect to be in a position to respond to the issues raised in the report by early summer.

Public Sector Pay

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the amounts of the bonuses paid to executives of non-departmental public bodies, government agencies and companies owned by Scottish ministers in each year from 1999 to May 2007.

John Swinney: The information for all the years requested is not held centrally and to locate and compile this information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Regeneration

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to address the regeneration of town centres.

Stewart Maxwell: The Purpose of the Scottish Government is to increase sustainable economic growth across the whole of Scotland. To achieve this, we need to support local areas and businesses to regenerate and grow our town centres.

  That is why the government signalled its intention to introduce a new £60 million Town Centre Regeneration Fund as part of the budget package for 2009-10.

  We will also be launching on 12 February a new Town Centres and Local High Streets Learning network which will act as a source of learning, advice and long-term support for practitioners.

  Over the two years 2006-08, we provided £1.1 million in support for the BID pilot programme, and we are continuing to provide seedcorn funding grants and practical support on the ground for local partners seeking to establish a BID. This will help create more vibrant and viable town and city centres.

  In addition, we are removing or reducing business rates through the Small Business Bonus Scheme as part of our drive to create an environment in which small businesses - many of them in our town centres - can flourish, underpinned by a fair taxation system. By cutting overheads and enabling them to invest more, the scheme is helping to sustain tens of thousands of small businesses across the country.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which banks operate accounts for it and whether it has changed any of the banks that it has used since May 2007.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

John Swinney: The Scottish Executive’s main bank account is held at HM Office of Paymaster General. The Executive also maintains commercial bank accounts at both the Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland. There has been no change in the banking arrangements since May 2007.

  The routine re-tendering exercise for supplementary banking services was advertised in accordance with European procurement legislation in July 2008 and is currently in progress.

Scottish Government Publications

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of reissuing HM Inspectorate of Education’s report, Improving Scottish Education 2005-2008, and who bore them.

Maureen Watt: Some, advance, copies of the Improving Scottish Education report were re-issued following an error by printers RR Donnelly’s and at their behest. All costs incurred in connection with the reprint were borne by the printers. No additional costs fell on either HM Inspectorate of Education or the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19159 by John Swinney on 19 January 2009, on what terms the chief executive of Transport Scotland will retire.

John Swinney: The Chief Executive of Transport Scotland is leaving the Scottish Government on normal retirement terms in line with the Civil Service Pension arrangements.

Transport Scotland

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19396 by John Swinney on 19 January 2009, how many members of the senior civil service were considered for the post of chief executive of Transport Scotland; what criteria were used in making the appointment, and what the terms are of Mr Middleton’s appointment.

John Swinney: David Middleton was selected for appointment as the new Chief Executive of Transport Scotland, taking into account the skills and experience required for the post, from the group of around 40 Director level staff within the Scottish Government. He will take up the post as a normal Senior Civil Service assignment.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action can be taken to redress a report that has been laid by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman that contains factual errors that affected the final decision.

Alex Fergusson: The content of reports laid before the Scottish Parliament are a matter for the bodies laying those reports and any issues arising there from should be taken up with the authors. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman periodically gives evidence to parliamentary committees, particularly the Local Government and Communities Committee which hears evidence on her annual report each year. This provides opportunities for members to raise issues with the ombudsman in a parliamentary setting.